


The Wayward Avatar

by witchbreaker



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Supernatural
Genre: Crossover, Destiel - Freeform, F/M, Fusion, Just a little I swear, M/M, Megstiel - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-02
Updated: 2015-07-23
Packaged: 2018-02-03 02:59:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1728596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchbreaker/pseuds/witchbreaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Airbenders are under attack and young Castiel has no idea why Monk Joshua insists that he flee instead of fight. On the run, Castiel learns of his destiny as the next Avatar and the battles he must face to save the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Run

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_diggler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_diggler/gifts).



> This is a work going to be a long version of the_diggler's Legend of Castiel: The Wayward Avatar and is done with her permission. This is not beta'd.

"Castiel, Castiel wake up!" A voice hisses into Castiel's ear, rousing him from sleep. 

"Go away Balthazar, I'm not taking your watch." The young Airbender snuggles deeper into his blankets. Balthazar could complain all he wanted, Castiel was _not_ getting up to watch for sky bison and Airbenders coming to the temple tonight.

"I am not Blathazar. Get up!" A hand tore the blankets away from Castiel's grasp. The sudden action flipped him on to the floor. 

"Monk Joshua?" The master Airbender was standing over him. There was a bag in his hand and his normally kind face set in hard lines. Something cold settled in Castiel's stomach. Joshua was his teacher and had practically raised him. Castiel had never seen him look so serious before. 

"Get dressed. We need to leave now." Castiel scrambled to do as he was told. He barely had both feet in his shoes before the sound of fighting reached his ears. 

"What is going on?" Joshua didn't answer. The elder grabbed Castiel by the arm and forces him to run with him down the halls and through passages ways Castiel didn't know existed. Castiel caught glimpses of Airbenders fighting back against foes he couldn't see. The full moon only illuminated so much. The towers of the Northern Air Temple casting the area in shadows. He wanted to stop and join in the fight, but Joshua kept them running. The one thing that Castiel could tell about the fighting that it was going on mostly near the base of the temple. 

Monk Joshua pushed Castiel to the side. The young airbender heard something shatter against the wall he had been next to. In a smooth spin, Joshua sent a gale wind down through the passage way. Castiel could hear it hit whoever had tried to attack them. 

"Down here!" A voice cried out. "Down here!" Joshua blows gently on a wall. A door appears and swings open. It is connected to a dark tunnel that Castiel can't see the end of. He quickly shoved the bag into Castiel's hands and grabbed the boy's shoulders. 

"You need to run. Stay out of the sky, don't use your airbending, and whatever you do _stay hidden_." Castiel swallowed his questions at the serious look in Joshua's eyes as he spoke. "Get as far away from here as you can, hide on the ground, _survive_." 

"But-" Joshua cut him off. 

"Do you understand?" 

"Yes, sir." Joshua's face softened. Sadness slid into his eyes. Castiel didn't know much. He didn't know why Monk Joshua hadn't brought his airbender brothers along with Castiel. He didn't know why Joshua insists that _he_ survive or what the fighting is about. He doesn't know who is attacking his home, but he does know that he is never going to see Joshua again. "Monk Josh-"

"There they are!" The elder, really the only father that Castiel has ever known, shoves him down the secret passage way. 

"Go!" Joshua orders and slams the door shut. Castiel takes off. He pretends he can't hear the fight that is happening behind him. Clutching the bag to his chest, Castiel finds that the tunnel exits in a forest. He keeps moving. Running as fast as he can and disappearing into the trees as the moon looked down at him.


	2. Lost

The sun was well over head by the time that Castiel stopped running. It had been the middle of the night when he had fled the Northern Air Temple and now he was past tired. Collapsing on the ground, he pulled himself beneath a group of shrubs. Hoping that the branches would hide him from any pursuers. Sleep dragged him under before the feeling of dirt registered against his cheek. 

The screech of a catowl woke him up. Panic shot through him between the moment he realized he wasn't home and remembering what had happened last night. Gulping air, Castiel forced himself to settle into a quick mediation. The technique he had used often to focus himself, calming him down so that he could think. The forest was abuzz with sounds. Birds and bugs fought to be heard in the spring air. Castiel didn't heard anything that sounded human so he inched himself out of the shrubs and back onto his feet. 

Nothing. Nothing, but animals and moonlight. Breathing a sigh of relief, Castiel took a moment and checked the bag that Monk Joshua had shoved in his hands. Inside was food, a water skin, and a set of Earth Kingdom clothes. Castiel took a moment and changed into them. The brown pants and shirt with a worn green sleeveless robe felt weird on his skin. They were of a much thicker material than his nomad clothes and weighed on him. 

Stuffing his own clothes inside, Castiel started running again. Monk Joshua had told him to hide and while the Northern Air Temple was far behind him but he wasn't sure if it was far enough. Who had attacked the temple in the first place? It wasn't the first time in Castiel's life that his home had to be defended. Various bandits had tried to take the place, not realizing that the Air Nomad's love of life extended to their own. They had been fended off easily enough. Most leaving with more wounded pride than injuries. In those cases Joshua had led Castiel with the other children to rooms that could be easily protected to wait out the fighting. Was it another nation? Rumors of fighting between the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom had reached the village that trade with the Air Temple. Had that spilled over? Castiel wasn't sure. The other nations were mysterious as the spirits to him. He had never been out of sight from the Temple before. Joshua had told him he would take Castiel to see the world one day, but Castiel had never seen the point. He had never felt the wanderlust that the other boys had. He liked his home and working in the garden with Joshua and mastering his bending had been enough for him. The young airbender regretted refusing to take that trip now. Perhaps if he had gone he would know where to go, instead of blindly running through the woods. 

It didn't truly matter. The past was the past and he had more pressing concerns. Like, being able to find food. The ache in his stomach was manageable right now, but it would be for long. The food in the bag would last him a day or two, but what if he needed to hide for longer than that? Could he forage what he needed? Would he have to steal later to feed himself? That idea left a curled milk feeling in his stomach. It also meant that he would have to go near people and with no clue who he was hiding _from_ that could be even more dangerous than an empty stomach. 

The questions dogged him as he pushes on. Daylight breaks and Castiel wishes it wouldn't. Wishes the spotlight of the sun would go away. He feels exposed in it. Open from attacks and with orders not to use his bending, he is worse than defenseless. Taking a break, he dives into the food and water. Trying to save enough for later but it is so hard when his body begs for them. He partially succeeds in saving some and moves on. 

The day continues like the last. Castiel collapses during the day and wakes up in the night. Running further, he stops after sunrise to eat before starting again. The days past like that. The food runs out by the third day and Castiel now takes the daytime to pick non-poisonous fruits and nuts. It is just enough to keep the hunger from killing him. Water, fortunately, isn't as much of a problem. Spring has only just come and the ground still has pockets of snow. The streams and ponds are also overflowing. 

By the eighth day a new craving starts taking hold. Castiel becomes hyper-aware of the air passing around him, of the storms gather in the distance, and shifts of the seasonal currents. He's never gone this long without bending before. It's like holding his breath, it's against his nature. His whole self itches to twists the wind. To wrap the little bits of spring air around himself and take to the sky, but he refuses. Joshua had said not to. Monk Joshua who had taught him the ways of the wind, Joshua who had been there when Castiel had his first fall out of the sky, Joshua who had comforted Castiel after his skybison had been struck down by a deadly illness, Joshua who _died_ to give Castiel time to escape......No, Castiel was not going to break that promise to him. 

The days got worse. Castiel thought about going to the other Air Temples and then dismissed it. He would never make it without meeting people or using his airbending. There was also the possibility that they had been attacked as well or were about to be. If so, then they weren't safe for Castiel and besides, those would be the first places anyone would look for him. 

Castiel lost track of how long he had been running for. Days became meaningless when every one was the same. Between the hunger and the desire to bend, the desire for _home_ , Castiel could barely put two thoughts together. 

He wasn't all that surprised when someone found him soon after. 

He was surprised that it was a group of waterbenders in traditional tribal clothes though. They caught him by a marsh. He had stopped to fill up his water skin when the water had turned to ice around his ankles. Castiel lashed out on instinct. Air whipped out around him, shattering the ice and sending a group of men flying at the same time. He made a dash for the forest, but a wall of ice sprung up between him and it. Spinning, Castiel came face to face with a man in fancy Water Tribe clothes stood in front of him. A slight smile was on his face. 

"What do you want?" Castiel rasped out. His voice rough from disuse. 

"It's polite to start with your name before asking questions." The man replied. 

"Castiel," The airbender replied without thinking, the man's smile grew at that. " _What do you want?_ " 

"We've been looking for you." Castiel tensed, readying to flee but the man kept talking. "Ever since the Northern Air Temple was attacked, the Northern Water Tribe has been trying to find the survivors. To help them recover." 

"Then why did your men attack me?" The man laugh. Castiel assumed that it was meant to be soothing. 

"They were over anxious. You look like you would take off at the slightest of noise. Don't worry, they'll be punished for it." Castiel looked at the men then himself. He look terrible. The Earth Kingdom clothes were wreaked and he didn't need a mirror to know he was bone thin and covered in dirt. "Come with us Castiel. We can help you. I'm Dick Roman, Chief of the Northern Water Tribe. Under my protection nobody will harm you." 

Castiel thought about this. Roman was a water bending master and leader of his people. Castiel should be able to trust him. More than that, he _wanted_ to trust him. He was tired of running, of hiding, of being hungry. The promise to Joshua was far from his mind. 

"Alright, I'll come with you." Castiel missed Roman's smile turning predatory as he kept his eyes on the other waterbenders pulling themselves up from the ground. 

"Excellent."


	3. Offer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a confession to make. 
> 
> I have not actually _seen_ past season five of Supernatural. I know what happens up to the season nine finale, but I haven't seen it. So, some season six-on characters might be a little ooc. I apologize for that, I'll watch it eventually I swear. This also means that you'll be seeing mostly season 1-5 characters as I don't really feel comfortable writing characters I only know second hand. Again, sorry and I'll watch it soon...ish. 
> 
> Also, if anyone would like to beta this it would be _very_ appreciated.

Roman had a camp along the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom. It surprised Castiel just how many warriors were there. They all stiffened to attention as Roman guided him to a large tent with multiple ones connected to it. He maneuvers the airbender into a private bathing area and makes a non-too subtle suggestion that Castiel clean himself up and meet him for a meal afterwards. Castiel doesn't need to be told twice. He waits until Roman leaves him alone, strips off his clothes, and jumps into the steaming water. It feels good, so good. The water washing away the dirt and sweat while the heat loosens the knots in his body. Castiel contemplates falling asleep in the water, but Roman had hinted that he would have a meal ready as soon as Castiel was done bathing and the idea of a full stomach was just too tempting to pass up. 

Getting out of the water, Castiel picks up a towel. It's soft and the Water Tribe crest has been embroidered beautifully on it. Castiel pauses for a moment and takes a good look around now that he is feeling better. The whole area speaks of a wealth that he hasn't seen before. There is a large mirror, perfectly oval with delicate silver as it's frame on one side of the tent. The towel he picked up is only one of a small mountain. Each as luxurious as the first. The tub he had just finished using is big enough to fit a full grown man comfortably. Its feet were stylized like otters and the Water Tribe symbol had been etched into it. That, of course, did not account for the many draperies that Castiel didn't need to touch to know were made of fine, rare, material, proclaiming which tribe the tent belonged to, the fur rung that covered the ground, or the shaving blades that gleamed from the metal and the mother of pearl handles. 

The Northern Air Temple reserved such extravagance for holidays and spirit worship. Having such luxury was a waste, Joshua had always said. Money was better spent on helping their fellow airbenders, maintaining the temples, and the multitude of other things necessary for all to have a good life. Perhaps the Water Tribes were better off than the Air Nomads. Castiel remembered hearing the older airbenders, especially those that travelled constantly, grumble about how expensive things were. He picked up one of the shaving blades. It seemed far too precious to use. On the other hand, his hair was starting to grow back. The dark brown bits that had been turned black by the water and were covering up his mastery tattoos. It would be best to get rid of them now while they were still wet. It doesn't take long to get rid of the hair. Castiel has only had his tattoos for a year, but he is proud of them. He is one of the youngest ever to be given them. Having the blue arrow visible again is comforting. Like wrapping a blanket around himself. It was familiar in a way that the scrawny face in the mirror wasn't. 

Castiel finds a set of Water Tribe robes waiting for him just outside the tent's flap. They are clearly made for someone bigger and hang on him like a set of sheets. He wonders if they belong to Roman because they are just as soft towels he used to dry off. Ignoring the shoes left beside the clothes, Castiel follows the smell of food to the main tent. A whole feast has been set out on a rectangular table. Fruits, vegetables, breads, and meats all dressed up and looking delicious. His mouth waters at the sight. The airbender's stomach grumbling in agreement. 

"Sit down and eat." Roman says with a smile. Castiel scrambles to do as asked. There is only one other spot at the table beside's Roman. It is at the opposite end and gives the waterbender a good view of Castiel. Castiel says a quick prayer of thanks to the spirits and digging into the food with gusto. The airbender watches Roman nibble at his meal. He knows that he should have better manners, but he's just so _hungry_ and everything tastes divine. Even the water is better than anything he's had since running from the Air Temple. There are several bowls filled with it on the table. It strikes Castiel as odd as there are also pitchers of water, but he's never eaten at a water tribe chief's table before so it might be normal. Roman is waits until he finishes eating before speaking again. 

"Castiel, can you tell me what happened at the Northern Air Temple? We haven't found any survivors from the attack." The food Castiel just ate threatened to come back up. _No survivors_. He knew that Joshua was dead but he thought, he had hoped, that his airbending brothers had managed to make it out alive. Roman asks again, snapping Castiel out of his thoughts, and he recounts what he knows. The waterbender makes soothing noises at various points and hums when Castiel is finished. 

"I don't understand why Joshua chose to save me." Castiel admitted. The question had plagued him ever since that night. The were other boys' rooms closer than his, others that would have been easier to save. A smirk tugs at Roman's mouth. 

"You are twelve correct?" Castiel blinks at him. 

"Yes."

"And your birthday is in the summer?" Confusion spreads through Castiel. 

"Why do you know this?" Roman doesn't answer his question, but motions for Castiel to come to him. He gets out of his seat and stands next to the waterbender. Roman moves a bowl of water close to them. He idly pulled the water out of the bowl and then back down. 

"Water bending works by pushing and pulling." He explained. "It comes from the push of the ocean," He let the water fall down. "And the pull of the moon." He pulled the water back up. "I'm sure air bending is different."

"Yes," Castiel frowned. He wasn't sure where this was going. "Airbending is redirection. We move the air one way, nudging it into the path we want it to. There is no push and pull." 

"Have you ever tried to push and pull it?" Roman stopped playing with the water.

"Of course not. There is no point, the air won't do that." 

"Humor me." He still couldn't see the point, but Castiel did as requested. Holding his hand out like Roman had, he reached for the wind and tried to push and pull it. It came to him easily enough, but refused to be pushed back. The _water_ on the other hand mimicked his motions perfectly. Castiel jumped back from it. The sudden movement caused the water to splash onto the table. 

"No." Castiel stared at the bowl. 

"Yes." Roman countered. "That's why Joshua saved _you_. You are the Avatar. The only person in the world that can bend all four elements."

"That's not possible. Avatar Chuck was an earthbender." 

"Firebender, born in the Earth Kingdom actually. Common mistake, but that is of no importance. What is important now is that you come back to the Northern Water Tribe with me."

"What?"

"Don't you see Castiel? Our meeting was destined. You are the Avatar and must master the elements in order with water being the next one. I am the greatest waterbender alive. Clearly we were meant to meet so that I can train you." Castiel feels like the world suddenly tilted. 

"But, but Joshua would have told me if I was the Avatar." He latches on to. "He knew Avatar Chuck before the man died, was his friend." 

"The Avatars aren't told of their status until they are sixteen by tradition." Roman's voice is full of derision. "It is suppose to give them a chance to live a normal life. Like they were ever normal." Castiel is still staring at the bowl. "Trying bending the water itself if you still don't believe." Castiel swallows. Hoping that this is all a mistake, he raises his hand again and tries to urge the water move up and down like Roman had been. It rises up from the bowl and back down again in an instant. 

"See?" Roman's voice is smug. Castiel can't bring himself to care. He is the Avatar. The one suppose to protect the balance of the world, to help maintain the harmony between spirits and humans, and bring peace to all. The weight of this responsibility weighs on him. He can't possibly do this. He can barely survive in the wilderness alone let alone help the world. He is no Chuck who had pull the Fire Nation out of chaos, healed the Earth Kingdom from famine, and stop the evil spirit Vaatu when he broke out of his prison. Chuck was like a great spirit himself. Melting out justice and mercy with the unbelievable power of the Avatar. His story was legendary long before he died at the age of two hundred and thirteen. 

Castiel is so caught up in his thoughts that Roman easily maneuver him into another tent. This one contained a bed made out of furs for someone his size. Roman urged him to get some sleep as they would be leaving in the morning and left. Castiel stood in the door way. Avatar. Him. The idea was absurd. _Should_ be absurd. He wanted to laugh at Roman for even suggesting it except it was true. The revelation made him feel lost in a way that running from his home hadn't. He desperately wanted Joshua. He wanted his master's guidance and support instead he had an empty tent. One decked out in expensive Water Tribe things just like the previous two making sure to remind Castiel that he is far from home. He feels the itch to run back into the woods, but that won't help. He needs to master waterbending and it would be foolish to turn down Roman's offer of training. Besides, as Chief of the Northern Water Tribe he must have some idea of what Castiel needs to do to be a good Avatar. It would be best to stay with him. 

Castiel tugs off the robs and slips under the furs. They are soft and warm, but they don't smell right. The scent of dead animals fills his nose instead of the cotton that the Temple's blankets had been made of. Castiel pushes them away. It's not so cold that he needs them anyway. Tossing and turning, sleep comes in fits and bursts. Nightmares suck the young airbender in and then spit him back out. Some of them have Castiel seeing Joshua dying, the secret door not closing fast enough to avoid seeing the spray of blood and Joshua's head rolling towards him. Others show his airbending brothers, all dead on the Temple grounds. A few are Castiel as the Avatar destroying the world. By the time Roman arrives at dawn, Castiel is more than willing to give up trying to sleep and get up. 

The morning moves quickly at that point. Castiel is fed and placed on a ship that sets sail immediately. Roman never leaves his side. The waterbender insists that Castiel sit beside him on the deck as they speed towards the North Pole. Roman tries to talk to him, but once it becomes clear that Castiel is too tired to carry a conversation he turns towards his subordinates demanding updates on anything from how long their trip will take, to supplies back at camp, to the state of one man's family. Castiel wonders if Roman doesn't trust his people or if a Water Tribe Chief really _is_ responsible for everything in his Tribe. The airbender finds it silly to rest everything on the shoulders of one man, but who is he to say how the Water Tribe should be? He watches the waves instead of commenting. They were a deep blue flecked with white and mesmerizing. He wishes Joshua was here to watch them with him. 

Castiel must have nodded off at some point because all too soon Roman is calling out his name and announcing that they have arrived. Looking up and out, Castiel's jaw drops. stretched out before him is a land of ice. As pristine as new snow and as tall as mountains. An elegant gate made of snow receded as their ship passed through revealing a city made of ice hidden within the glacier. A river ran through the heart of it allowing the boat to make straight for the heart of the city. They passed by grand buildings and elegant homes. Castiel had _heard_ that the Northern Water Tribe built their city out of ice and snow, but to see it was a completely different matter. 

"Amazing, isn't it?" Roman said, snapping Castiel out of his thoughts. 

"Yes. I, I didn't realize it was so grand." Roman seemed very satisfied with that response. They soon docked. Castiel would have liked to take time to explore the city, but he was guided away to the far back of the city where Roman's personal compound lay. It was just as grand as the rest of the city with it's smooth walls, tall buildings, and complex details. The only fault Castiel could find with it was that it was cut off from the rest of the city. The large gate they were traveling through seemed to be the only way to get in and out. Castiel didn't understand why anyone would want to seal such a beautiful thing off from others. He and Roman were barely inside before the waterbender turned to him.

"Welcome to the Northern Water Tribe." He said as the gate closed behind them with a definite thud.


	4. New Ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....yeah, this is late. I'm sorry for the three months wait. I had back-to-back family visits, followed by end of summer madness, and prep for school to deal with and it killed my writing buzz. To make it up, I'll be posting another chapter tomorrow night. Thanks for your patience and again, I'm so sorry. 
> 
> If anyone was wondering, I'm trying to keep to a once-every-two-weeks schedule so there'll be a chapter tomorrow and then another one not this Sunday, but the one after.

Castiel learned five things very quickly about his new home. The first was that he wasn't allowed to leave the compound.

"You have three elements to master. You don't have time to waste." Roman had said when he broached the subject the first time. 

"Yes Sifu."

The second time he responded with, "It is too dangerous for you to be wandering through the city. Those responsible for attacking the Northern Temple have yet to be found."

"Still?" The airbender asked around his food. It had been almost a month since he had come to the city. The fact that those who forced him to flee his home were wandering free was disconcerting. The salty food of the Water Tribe rolled uncomfortably in his stomach. Were they attacking the homes of others as they speak?

"We will find them and they will be punished. Do not worry about it." 

"Yes Sifu." 

The third was dismissed with a "Focus on your training Castiel." 

"Yes Sifu." 

After the seventh time, Castiel gave up asking. Roman was not going to budge on the issue. He also had a point about how much Castiel had to learn. The second thing the airbender learned was that Roman was a brutal teacher. The basics were taught at a rate that had even Castiel's natural talent falling behind. If he failed to master whatever Roman showed him by the third try he had to practice it until the sunrise of the next day. 

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to be a good avatar Castiel." He clucked in disapproval when the airbender didn't produce a good enough cloud of ice with his breath. "Again. Do not inhale so quickly this time."

"Yes Sifu." 

Three months into training, Roman changed his method. Instead of showing Castiel moves, he pitted the airbender against his best waterbenders while refusing to allow him to airbend. 

"An avatar needs to be able to fight without his preferred element," Roman said as Castiel dragged himself up from a particular harsh defeat. Ice dug into his arm like needles. He would be bleed profusely if it wasn't for the fact that he was mostly frozen. Roman's warriors didn't know the meaning of the word 'restraint.' 

"Yes Sifu." Castiel wheezed. Roman sighed and motioned for Castiel to sit down next to him. A healer descended on him as soon as he was seated, glowing water melting the ice and stitching the skin back together. He groans in relief. 

"As well as defeat his enemies. You would have won if you had just pressed the offensive when you had a chance."

"He would have been badly hurt." Castiel still couldn't bring himself to muster up the ferocity that the Water Tribe Chief demanded. While he didn't know any of the warriors personally, he still didn't like the idea of injuring them in a simple spar. It is too at odds with the Air Nomad's mantra of 'All Life is Precious.' 

" _You_ have been badly hurt." Roman retorted. "As the avatar, you can't afford to play nice with others. The world will be depending on you." Castiel's shoulders curled inwards at the reminder. The healer nudged him straight as she moved from his arm to shoulder. He focused on the cool water taking away his pain rather than the disappointed look that Roman was giving him. He hated that look. It wrapped around him and made him feel small. Roman was helping him so much by teaching him waterbending, giving him a roof over his head, and protecting him from his enemies and all Castiel has done is shown the Chief just how unsuited he is for the title of Avatar. 

The healer moves across his back and down to his hip which is now bleeding. He winces at her touch and wishes he could do this himself. At least it would be faster. That was the third thing that Castiel discovered about the Water Tribe: men were not allow to learn the healing arts. Why, still doesn't make sense to him. How could any kind of bending be just 'woman's work'? He had never heard of the elements only obeying a gender before. Castiel suspected that this was more of a Water Tribe tradition than anything else. Unlike the requests to go into the city, he didn't press the issue. Castiel had learned at his temple that teachers could not be moved on what they would and would not teach. He remembered the time when Monk Zachariah refused to show him how to fly. The elder had insisted that he was too young, too reckless to be trusted with the skill. Castiel had managed to convince a visit Monk Annael to show him the basics in secret. It had not been easy to learn and was still one of the few airbending moves that he could not preform accurately. 

"You're too attached to the ground, Castiel." Annael had told him. "You've got to learn to let go. Join with the wind, care only for the wind, and it will work." 

"I don't understand what you mean. I care a lot for the wind." Castiel asked thoroughly confused. She smiled a little. 

"Not enough to never come down." A breeze picked her up, tugging her just above his head. "That's what flying is. Going up with the intent to never come down."

"That's enough for today," Roman cut through Castiel's memory, bringing him back to the present. "Go to your room and rest."

"Thank you Sifu." The woman healing him and finished and disappeared while his mind had been wandering. Castiel made a note to remember to thank her for her work. All he felt was the bone aching tiredness that always accompanied a bending practice. Wobbling to his feet, Castiel got about three paces before Roman gripped him by his elbow and helped him to his room. He left as soon as Castiel was in the doorway. Gone before the boy could return his goodbye. Castiel leaned against the door to close it, dull fingers fumbling to get rid of his drenched clothes. They ended up in a pile on the floor as he flopped onto his bed and wiggled beneath the furs. He wondered if Monk Zachariah or Annael were still alive. Zachariah was strong, but Castiel doubted that he would ever have left the temple even if it fell to invaders. Annael had been there only a few days before the attack. Had the enemy gotten her as well? He hoped not. The redhead had become like at sister to him. Her willingness to help, clever ways of working the wind, and strong sense of right and wrong had endeared Castiel to her. She had easily joined his small group of friends such as Balthazar, Joshua, and Uriel. Thoughts on the fate of those airbenders wormed through Castiel's mind as he drifted off. They turned into nightmares as he went deeper into sleep. 

The fourth thing Castiel discovered was that The Northern Water Tribe would never be home. There was beauty here. From the buildings to the snow falls to the rivers that ran through the compound. All had and elegant way about it. He had lost track of time on several occasions sitting and staring at the wondrous home the waterbenders had made in such a harsh place. There was serenity here. Mediation was easier than it had been at the temple. When training was over, Castiel could easily find a place to center himself and rally his mind for more work. Roman made sure he never lacked for anything. He was dressed in the finest clothes, fed hearty meals, and room kept in the best condition. Castiel grew to admire the Chief more and more. He had a hand in everything that went on. From running his city, to commanding his army, to training Castiel, to judging when certain harvests should begin, to organizing holiday celebrations. Roman's home was so well run that even at it's busiest it ran smooth like glass. The airbender hoped that one day he would be able to lead that well. 

But it wasn't the Northern Air Temple. 

The beauty did not make up for restriction of its walls. He was caged in at all sides both literally with those walls and figuratively with Roman's refusal to allow him to airbend. The serenity only caused Castiel to crave the racket that the other airbenders caused when they ran around the halls of the temple. He had never realized he had grown to like that until arriving here. The luxurious items were soaked in Water Tribe symbols. Everything he used reminded him that he was no longer at the Northern Air Temple. Then there were the Water Tribe traditions. The Water Tribe had a protocol for _everything_ and turned icy when one stepped out of line. Most of the rules where unspoken. Leaving Castiel to trip over them as he tried to respect their ways. The few private, celebrations that Roman held had Castiel walking on eggshells the whole time. Fearing that any mistake would bring Roman's icy anger down on him. The strict hierarchy made it impossible to talk to anyone but the Chief. Not even the brashest of warriors would speak to him for more than a moment. By the winter solstice, Castiel resigned himself to being lonely. Roman is a fine teacher, but is not the same as having a friend. Especially when he is the only child in the entire compound. 

It is a week after the winter solstice, when Castiel puts the fifth thing he noticed about Roman's home to use. It's not that difficult to get around the guards and over the walls. The warriors have consistent rotations and with a little bending helped jump, you can clear them. It had been a cursory thing that Castiel had noticed at the start. Something he forgot about when he first arrived and then ignore when Roman refused to let him leave the compound. He is a good student and good students obey their masters. 

It's a storm that breaks his resolve. The wind howled outside his room. Slamming against doors and splashing the snow it carries everywhere. Castiel fisted the furs on his bed. He can feel the wind moving just out of reach. Taunting him with it's power. He closes his eyes but it does nothing to stop the desire to twist the air as he has been forbidden to do for almost a year. Today was a rare day where Roman decided on teaching him Water Tribe customs instead of waterbending. It left him humming with unused energy that only made him more attuned to the wind and snow around him than usual. 

The wind dies down for a moment and somehow that is worse. Like the air itself is pulling away from him. Castiel gives up and leaps off the bed. Throwing on his clothes, he comes up with a plan. Roman would punish him if he was caught airbending. He'll need to get outside the compound. Away from anyone that could report back to Roman. 

Slipping out his window, Castiel slides along the low roofs of the house that he lives in. The guards don't look up as he moves from roof to roof to avoid them. Near the wall, he has to abandon the high ground as the buildings stop well short of the edge of his cage. Slinking to the ground, Castiel leans back into a corner. There are two guards at this position. Both are looking outwards for external threats, but Castiel knows that soon they will leave to check a little further down the wall. So he waits. And waits. And waits until finally they move off. He runs towards the wall gathering the air as he does so and uses it to boost his jump. He goes sailing well over the wall and lands in a snow bank. His heart is beating wildly, demanding that he airbend more. Castiel ignores it as he takes a look around. Ahead of him is a glacier and nothing else. He suspects that the rest of the city is on the other side of the compound, but he doesn't care. The top of the glacier will work perfectly. He dashes towards it. The guards will be back in position in a few minutes and he needs to be up and over the glacier before then. Scooping up snow as he goes, he forms it into two long knives and jumps once again. Castiel slams into the glacier about half way up. The ice knives sink into it, holding him there while he catches his breath. The wind tugs and him and the snow brushes up against him. Daring him to bend them to get up the mountain. It's a risk he can't take though. Not with the guards surely on their way back to their posts. Anything he could do in this position is too flashy to get away with. 

_Breathe. Just breathe and move_. Castiel dug his feet into the glacier, yanked one of the knives out and used the momentum to push on. He's panting by the time he reaches the top. A final shove gets him all the way on it and he flops down onto it. Castiel lies there for a minute, a grin slowly forming on his face. He's done it. Leaping to his feet, Castiel does an air blast. Giddy, he does it again. The air obeys his every whim. twisting and turning like it was his own hands. Castiel does a flip. Air arches outward, cutting through the storm like a blade through soft butter. Landing, he pulls one arm up, and lets the opposite leg slide back. Pivoting, the arm comes down and up as it joins with the other arm to thrusts outward. The result blast clears the air around him of every flake of snow. Castiel drops his arms, taking in the moment before panic sets in. Surely that had been noticed by the people below. It maybe night, but Castiel would be a fool to think he could get away with bending that much. Letting the air move on it's own, he peeked over the side of the glacier. There didn't seem to be any uproar below, perhaps he had gotten lucky. Either way, Castiel knew his time here was over. With more care than than he had coming up, Castiel descended into the city and snuck back into his room. Ridding himself of his sopping wet clothes, he snuggled under the furs happier than he had been in months. He would have to visit that plateau again soon.


	5. Discovered

The glacier's plateau becomes an escape for Castiel. Stormy nights hiding the bending he has been forbidden to practice. It leaves him tired for training in the morning, but it is an excellent trade off. Winter bleeds into spring and Castiel finds himself exploring more and more of the plateau. Airbending was never meant to be practiced in a small area and the longer he stays out the more he moves away from the edge of the city. He discovers a forest not far away and tries his best to avoid it. As much as he would like to surround himself with greenery he has not seen since he came to the North Pole, the forest raises the hair on the back of his neck. Castiel would bet money that there are spirits living there. The last thing he needs is spirits angry at him for trespassing or whatever annoys spirits here. Monk Joshua hadn't mention if spirits outside the temple should be treated differently, but things are so different here that Castiel just assumes they should be. 

In the other direction is more ice. If Castiel goes far enough, it changes into snow, but otherwise the area is empty. Eventually, it's desolation makes Castiel curious about the city again. He considers asking Roman once more for permission to visit it, but dismisses the idea. The Chief has made his stance clear and nothing has indicated that it has changed in the year Castiel has been here. Fidgeting in the snow, the airbender rethinks about sneaking into the city. Roman has been so kind to him. It felt like a betrayal to go behind his back on this. Castiel didn't _need_ to go into the city. Not like he needed to airbend. He just wanted to see the city up close. To watch the people come and go and see what life was like for the rest of the Water Tribe. A wish of someone who was not paying attention to his training, Roman would say. Castiel agreed with that. The more the waterbender taught him the more he realized he had to learn but.....was it really that terrible to want to do something other than study to be the Avatar? Castiel didn't know. He returned to the compound thinking about it. 

The idea dogged him. It kept him up on clear nights; distracted him during training. Roman disciplined him several times for paying attention more to the wall than to training. The extra work did nothing to discourage him. It got to the point that he spent stormy nights perched on the edge of the plateau hoping for a glimpse of the city through the swirling snow. Castiel is reasonably sure that he can get in and out of the city without being noticed. None of the guards that Roman uses have caught him yet after all. A sour feeling in his stomach starts to form as he thinks about this. He really doesn't want to defy Roman. Going to the glacier isn't _technically_ going against his orders as he only ever forbade Castiel from going to the city. Not that Castiel _asked_ about going to the glacier. The airbending doesn't count since Castiel _needs_ to do it. He is sure that if Roman knew how much it bothered him to not manipulate the wind he would allow it, but it never feels right to bright it up. A good Avatar would never be controlled by his desire to bend. It's another strike against him and Roman has been recently praising him for how far he has come in the last year. Castiel doesn't know if he could stand to lose that. Roman has a way of making Castiel want to crawl into a hole and never come out with just a few words and a disappointed look. 

What does him in is deciding to go out on clear night. He foolishly thinks that maybe being able to see it from afar would quench his desire. Pulling himself over the edge, Castiel turns around and looks past the compound to the city bathed in moonlight. It's gorgeous. The ice that the Water Tribe makes their homes out of shines under the white light. Complex buildings have an unearthly glow to them. Hinting at mysterious and elegant designs that he can just barely see. There aren't many people moving around this late at night. A few lanterns suggest guards and perhaps an evening worker here and there. Otherwise, it's asleep as he should be. 

_It wouldn't be hard to move through it unnoticed._ Castiel thinks as he stands on the edge of the glacier. _Not hard at all_. 

His decision made, he starts to plan. He'll stick close the compound at least for the first night. Since he doesn't know the city well, he'll wait for a storm to give him cover. Castiel picks out three places that he wants to see while he's down there and memorizes how warriors patrol it. 

He has to wait over a weak before a suitable storm rolls through. His heart is beating in his throat as he sneaks out. He is over the wall, running down an alley, and wedging himself into a building's covered corner before he dares stop to check if anyone saw him. Castiel leans his head back and listens. There are no shouts, no stomping of feet coming after him, no shifting of ice to signal that waterbenders will capture him. He's in the clear. Grinning, Castiel has to resist running to his first destination. It turns out to be a supply deposit though one would never guess that from the intricate roof and lovingly engraved posts. Castiel runs his hand over every inch of the outside before moving on. He'll take a look at the furs and other cloths that he glimpsed through a window later. 

The second place is temple that has someone in it. Castiel sees their lamp from the outside and decides to come back another night. The third is a bridge that turns out to be guarded. It over spans the river that runs through the city and is high enough to overlook a good portion of it. Thwarted, Castiel goes back to the compound. His spirits are still high and resolves to pick out new destinations tomorrow when the weather is good to visit. 

As spring turns into summer, Castiel explores more parts of the city. He discovers that most of the city is made up of storage places, military bunkers, and shops. There is a small spring not far from Roman's compound with two koi fish in it. Castiel suspects they are spirits. A large temple that seems like it serves for the major holidays entrances Castiel for weeks. He almost gets caught several times as he pokes in its every corner. 

More fascinating are the few people that he observes during these nights. The old man that prays every week at an ancestor shrine. The guards that joke as they tough out the bad weather. The merchants that scurry around to make sure their goods don't get damaged. Castiel watches them all, wishing he could move freely among them. He would love to ask the old man why he prays to that shrine, the guards what is so funny about those jokes, the merchants why they package their wares like that, but he can't. He suspects that even if he were allowed to visit the city, the people would not talk to him like those in the compound don't. 

As summer presses on, Castiel finds less and less opportunity to sneak off to the city. The days are so much longer, night shorter, and storms few and far between that he decides to go out on clear nights. He is so nervous the first night that he can't enjoy it and slips back into the compound much earlier than usual. On the third time, he starts to relax. No one has caught sight of him. A few have heard him, true, but otherwise he is a ghost in the city. Moving unnoticed by most and dismissed by those who do. This thought, of course, is his undoing. He is so certain that he won't be seen that he risks going to the guarded bridge. The warrior who watches over takes a break and Castiel ducks out to sit on it's rail. The view is as wonderful as he suspects it would be. Lost in thought, he only realizes that the guard is coming back when the warrior's spear scraps across the ground. Scrambling, he can't get away before the guard spots him. 

"Stop!" Castiel breaks out into a run. He can hear the guard behind him giving chase. Ducking into an alley, the airbender intends to jump onto the roof and hide there, but that plan is immediately squashed. There is a girl in the alley. Her red hair reminding him of Annael and she has spotted him. 

_Oh no._ Castiel manages to think before she opens her mouth to scream.


	6. A Friend

Castiel slaps his hand over her mouth. The girl squeaks in surprise. Shoving the both of them against a wall, Castiel water bends a shield of snow around them. Hoping that it will hide them from the guard. Heavy footsteps close in on their location. Both of them barely breathe as the guard stops just feet from then before moving on. Waiting until he couldn't hear the footsteps anymore, Castiel let out a sigh of relief. The snow shield came down and he released the girl. 

"I'm very sorry about that." The girl just stood there, eyes wide. "Are you alright? Miss?" That gets her attention. 

"Holy shit." She flails her arms. Castiel blinks. "I mean holy _shit!_ " 

"Not so loud!" He hisses, looking around. She shrinks at that. 

"Sorry. It's just, you're the freaking avatar! Nobody is going to believe this!" _Oh no_. 

"You can't tell anyone!" Castiel hisses. "Please, please don't tell anyone you saw me!" It was now the girl's turn to blink.

"Why?"

"I'm not suppose to be out here." Castiel admitted. He moves into the girl's space, eyes pleading. "Please don't tell anyone."

"Ah, okay." 

"You promise?"

"I promise." He relaxes. 

"Thank you." With her silence assured, Castiel takes to the roof and gets back to the compound quickly. It's not until he's safely back in his bed that he realizes he didn't get the girl's name. After a moment he dismisses it. Getting back was more important and he doubted he'd ever see her again. 

Roman didn't mention anything to Castiel about being spotted in the city so the airbender assumed that he didn't know. However, Castiel felt his eyes on him more than usual. Roman definitely knew _someone_ had been wandering around last night. Castiel is barely left alone. Guards tailed him after training and posted themselves in the hallway at night. He doesn't try to visit even the plateau. Better to go without than face Roman's anger and disappointment. It's weeks before the guards return to their normal routine. Castiel waits an extra one before sneaking out again. It's just a quick trip to the top of the glacier, but it brings him immense relief. He spends most of it simply sitting near it's edge, watching the compound and city. The compound is as silently as ever and the city just as beautiful. The shift to fall has done little to change either of them though the wind is noticeably cooler. The whole Northern Water Tribe seems to change little. Castiel has been here over a year and feels like the only thing that has changed is his height. 

Sighing, he returns to the compound. Tomorrow he will return to exploring the city. Only this time much more carefully. 

He needed to be. The patrols had changed and now all the carefully remembered cycles only get him into tight spots. Castiel spent the whole night dodging, clinging to shadows, and shoving himself into tight places to avoid being caught. He's exhausted by the time he manages to circle back to the compound. The second try is only slightly better. He figures out their patrol on the fourth try, but even that does little to help him. 

Ducking into a small shrine, he runs into that girl again. She's fiddling with something in the corner with her back turned to him. She must have heard him because as soon as he crosses the threshold, she twitches and spins around. Castiel puts a finger to his mouth, hoping that she will be quiet. The girl nods. 

"What are you doing?" He asks when the danger passes. 

"Uh, trying to fix this?" There's a doll's arm that looks like a human one in her lap. Castiel steps closer to get a good look at it.

"What is it for?"

"Healing practice. It mimics a real arm see?" She bends a bit of water to her finger tips. It glows and then travels along the chi paths. "So, what's the avatar doing sneaking around after curfew?" 

"Oh....it's the only time I can see the city." Castiel admits. "I'm not suppose to leave the compound." 

"So, you're like Piku from Tales of the Red Desert." The girl said with a grin. Castiel stared at her.

"Who?"

"You know, handsome hero who's lived his whole life on the outskirts of a city and is forbidden to go into the rich, inner city but does so anyway because he just _needs_ to see how the other half lives." Castiel continued to stare. "Steals a flower? Gets banished and can only come home if he defeats the demon in the desert? Ends up marrying a princess? How on _earth_ have you not heard of this before?!"

"It's not a story I'm familiar with." He frowns. "I'm not a thief." 

"I didn't mean _that_ ," She said with a flap of her hand. "You're like Piku because you're a cool, sneaky dude that can't help but go into forbidden places." 

"Thank you?"

"No problem. Hey, since you're the avatar can you help me with this?" She holds up the arm. Castiel can see a crack in the hand. He takes it and sees that someone lodged dirt into the chi paths and caused a crack along a knuckle. Castiel has never tried to bend earth before, but doesn't think it will be that difficult. He raises his hand and tries to pull on it like water. It doesn't budge. Tugging again, Castiel feels it slide out a little but not enough. Curling his hand into a fist, he yanks and the dirt flies outward hitting him in the face. "Oh, crap. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He uses his sleeve to wipe his face off. "I can't fix the crack, but the dirt is gone." 

"Thanks so much. I can take care of the crack." The girl pulls a little tub of something from her pouch and squeezes it into the crack. It seems to blend into the plaster and makes the crack disappearing. "Awesome. Is there anything I can do for you? You saved me big time. Master Senna gets unbelievably angry every time these things get so much as a scratch on them." 

"Can you teach me how to heal?" The grin on her face falters. 

"I guess. I'm not really good at it."

"Anything you can teach me will be fine." Castiel is pretty sure he can get a decent grasp on it if he learns the basics. 

"Sure you don't want anything else?" Castiel shakes his head. "Okay then. I'll give it a shot."

"Thank you, Sifu-" It's at this moment that he realizes he still doesn't know her name. Her grin comes back. 

"If we're going to be sneaking around, we should totally have code names."

"Code names?"

"Something awesome we can call each other so nobody knows what we're talking about. Like Monk Azure or Fire Thief." 

"Wouldn't regular names be better? That way if we are overheard then they will not connect our names with our true selves."

"Spoil sport. Fine, I'll be......Charlie." Castiel tilts his head. 

"That's a boy's name though."

"Exactly! Nobody will suspect a boy's name belonging to a girl!" Castiel nods, seeing her logic. "What about you?"

"Uh...." Castiel scrambles to think of something. He's never considered changing his name before and he doubts that Balthazar's nickname 'Cassie' will work in this situation. "Emanuel?" 

"Awesome. So, Emanuel when do you want to start practice?"

"Will tomorrow night work?" Charlie thinks on that for a moment. 

"I can do that, but it won't be until late. We'll meet here?" He nods. 

"That would be best."

"Then see you tomorrow night."


	7. Healing

Charlie isn't there when he arrives at the shrine the next night. He hovers outside of it. Is he late? Early? Had Charlie decided to renege on their agreement? He cautiously steps into the shrine and looks around. There's no place to hide in here. The only thing in it is an alter to an ancestor spirit. Standing in it alone, Castiel feels vulnerable. Looking up, he sees that the beams are exposed and decides to tuck himself between one and the roof. It's a much better position. He can see everything and unless someone looks up, he can't be seen. It's an awkward spot, but he feels much better. 

Time slinks by. Castiel considers going back to the compound when Charlie finally arrives. She's carrying a model of a person that resembles the arm she had last night. 

"Emanuel?" She hisses out. He drops down, using airbending to silence his landing out of habit.

"Hello Charlie." 

"Sweet Moon Spirit!" She jumps and drops the model. Spinning around to face him, her hood falls off and red hair goes everywhere. "Where did you come from?" 

"I've been here all this time." She blinks.

"Oh, okay. Well, I brought the dummy so what do you say we get this show on the road?" Castiel nods and helps her lay the model out on the ground. He takes a seat opposite to her and watches as she scoops a bit of snow from the ground. Changing it into water and places it into the dummy. "These are chi paths. To heal you need to redirect the energy of the body using the water as a catalyst."

Castiel watches her move the water through the model, lighting it up as she goes. Charlie spends hours breaking down the technique for him. There are a lot of variations apparently and she enjoys discussing the theories of why some work better than others. Her enthusiasm makes it easier to pay attention. By the end, his head is swimming with facts and he's giddy. Charlie had let him try moving water through the dummy and he was successful at it. It was a small thing, but it proved that he _could_ heal. He slipped back into his room with a spring in his step. They had agreed to meet again in two weeks. Apparently sneaking the model away from the healers had been no easy task. It was disappointing that he would have to wait that long for his next lesson, but Charlie had promised to let him practice more next time. 

His good mood lasted long into the day. Not even the headache from lack of sleep and Roman's rigorous training could put a dent in it. Castiel practices what Charlie taught him in the privacy of his room. He can't do much, but getting water to turn into a catalyst and etching her theories into his walls are easy to hide as long as he remembers to wipe the latter clean. 

The two weeks can't go by fast enough. As soon as the sun is down on the meeting day, Castiel is out of the compound and at the shrine. He's early again, but this time he's confident that Charlie will show eventually. It's much later into the night when she does. It doesn't matter to him. Charlie keeps her word about practicing more than talking to night and walks him through the process multiple times. She suggests they move onto practicing on themselves the following lesson.

"Just bruises and scratches." Charlie insists when Castiel worries that he's not ready. "Trust me. It'll be easy-peasy." 

"If you say so Sifu Charlie." She lightly punches his shoulder and reminds him to just call her Charlie. Castiel nods and they agree to meet again in five days. That lesson progresses even faster than the one before. Charlie is impressed with how quickly he picks it up. Her praises makes Castiel happy. It's been so long since he's been around anyone his age that he's glad he is able to make a friend. Charlie is nice and a good teacher. Her enthusiasm is never ending though Castiel becomes easily lost when she starts to talk about plays and stories. He's gotten use to merely nodding along as she goes off on some tangent about some hero of old. Some nights they don't even practice. Charlie just tells him stories, hands waving and voice reenacting scenes. 

Castiel spends most of Autumn in an exhausted haze. His training with Roman only increases as the Chief has decided to move him onto multiple opponents. The lessons with Charlie aren't exactly taxing but the lack of sleep gets to him. The airbender blames it for his decision to interrupt Roman's meeting. He didn't _mean_ to do it. The waterbender hadn't observed his matches like usual and after they were over Castiel had gone to look for him instead of returning to his room like he was told to. 

Roman was in his audience room. Seated before him was a man decked in crimson robes lined with gold. There were three children and another man with him. Two boys and a girl that looked to be a little older than the Avatar. The man somewhere around Joshua's age. The two boys were dressed in red and gold, but the girl and other man wore dark red and brown. Castiel couldn't hear what the men were talking about, but he could tell that Roman was annoyed by the other man's nonchalant attitude. He had only intended to observe them for a moment before exiting through the side passage he had entered from, but the man in gold turned his head towards Castiel.

"And who's this?" The airbender froze. His eyes darted to Roman and confirm that the Chief was not happy he was here. Roman quickly hid his feelings and beckoned Castiel over.

"This is the Avatar Castiel. I have been training him in the art of waterbending." 

"It's good to meet you." The man said, dipping his head in a bow. The two boys followed him while the man and the girl got up and bowed. Castiel went to return the favor, but Roman's hand on his shoulder prevented him. 

"It is nice to meet you as well..." Castiel fumbled at how to address him. 

"Prince Lucifer of the Fire Nation." Lucifer waved a hand to the boys on his right. 

"This is my nephew, Crown Prince Gabriel." The sandy haired boy grinned at Castiel in a way that promised mischief. 

"My son, Prince Raphael." The dark skinned boy besides Gabriel only continued frowning. 

"And our servants Azazel and Meg." The man and dark haired girl bowed again and returned to their seats. Lucifer turned his attention back to Roman. "It's nice to know the Avatar is safe after all." 

"The Northern Water Tribe is good at protecting those under its care." Roman replied. Castiel got the feeling that much more was being said in this conversation then he knew. Roman was giving Prince Lucifer the look he usually reserved for when Castiel steps out of line. The air in the chamber was stifling between the two of them. Inwardly groaning, the airbender wished he had just gone back to his room. Whatever these the Chief and Prince were going to do was not going to be pretty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the_diggler, Raphael can shoot lightning.


	8. A Season for Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kicked my ass. Heck, this whole section has been. A lot of things are taking more time then I thought they would so I'm changing up my style for the next (2-3) chapters to get past this. I am so sorry for the wait.

If Castiel looked back on that meeting he would have known that it would be a key turning point in his life. He didn't because he was a little too busy dealing with Roman's disapproval and the Princes' ability to slip any servant. Castiel ran across them more than once in places they shouldn't be. Ironically, Roman's attempts to keep Castiel from them by sending him on errands around the compound meant that Castiel found them the most. The airbender suspected they thought it as a game to get the Avatar to drag them back to their rooms. He did not like Crown Prince Gabriel and Prince Raphael. The former played far too many pranks on the servants that were overly cruel and the latter was incredibly arrogant. He was relieved to see them go. It meant the end to Roman's hyper vigilance and a return to normal. He silently wished that they would never return. 

 

(X)

His prayer went unanswered. 

 

"Did you miss me Cassie?" Gabriel called out as Castiel stepped out of the bathhouse that the warriors used to clean up after practice. Castiel came to a stop and stared. 

"What are you doing here?" The grin that spread across the Crown Prince's face meant no good news. 

"Uncle Lucifer is making a deal with Roman. We got brought along to 'foster friendship' or something. We're going to be here all summer." 

_Oh Kami,_ Castiel thinks. The thought must be written on his face because Gabriel laughs. 

 

(X)

Castiel might kill someone. Possibly Raphael though Gabriel is the one he is currently imagining trapping in a tornado and watching him suffocate. The Crown Prince broke into his room and swapped out his soap with something else that had caused his mastery tattoos to turned bright green. They were the only things he had left to connect him to his people and Gabriel had desecrated them for his _amusement_. Raphael's laughter at the sight of him only fueled his anger. 

"Control yourself Castiel." Roman commanded when the wind started picking up. The airbender halted the air still glaring daggers at the princes. 

"You are going to pay for this." He seethed. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about." The Crown Prince lied with a grin. 

 

(X)

A week later Gabriel tried to vaporize his candy stick instead of throwing it away as usual. Said stick had been coated with a highly explosive material that Castiel isn't suppose to know about. The resulting fireball had been more than the surprised fire bender could control and he had lost his eyebrows and a good section of his hair. Castiel hadn't said anything, but Gabriel had sensed his smugness. 

"You asshole!" 

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Castiel responded before walking off. 

 

(X)

"You really shouldn't have done that to the Crown Prince." Castiel jumped, twisted, and was forming a snow prison before he realized what he was doing. The Fire Nation visitors' servant girl flipped out of the way. Castiel slid into a water bending stance, gut twisting. The plateau was his sanctuary. It would disappear if word got back to Roman that he was coming here unattended. 

"What do you want?" 

"Nothing," Meg moved around him, clearly trying to avoid getting trapped by his next attack. "Just seeing where Mr. Avatar goes when he's not being Roman's little toy soldier." 

Castiel squinted at her. He had never seen her out of sight of Gabriel. She was his shadow, carrying out his whims and keeping an eye out for trouble. A quick check confirmed that Gabriel was _not_ in the area. 

"Gabriel sent you to watch me." As the Crown Prince he was the only one with the power to order her away from him. Lucifer could possibly do it, Castiel wasn't sure how Fire Nation law worked, but if he had, he would have done so long ago. 

"Ooo, aren't you a clever boy." 

"Go away, this is my place." Gabriel wouldn't tell Roman about his secret trips out of the compound. He'd have to admit that he had sent Meg to follow him and Roman would never let that slide. Castiel didn't know the extent of the treaty that Lucifer and Roman were working out, but he knew it was important to both sides. Roman would use Meg's wandering as leverage to isolate the whole group and get concessions out of Lucifer who was already paying for Gabriel's pranks. If there was one thing that Castiel knew about Gabriel is that Lucifer could make him extremely sorry with just a few words. 

"Sorry," Meg sat down when it became clear that Castiel would not attack her again. "No can do." 

Castiel glared at her, but she was unmoved. Spinning around, he returned to his airbending. It was just a gentle pulling of the winds. Swirling them around himself as the half moon peaks out between the clouds. 

"Is that really all you can do?" 

"I'm practicing the finer movements not taking down guards." 

"If this is your best then you couldn't take down guards if your life dependent on it." 

"Says the non bender who has never seen me fight." Roman had been extraordinarily careful about making sure no one from the Fire Nation saw his training. Meg grinned. 

"If you think I can't take you, you're going to have another thing coming Clarence." 

"Really?" Castiel stopped bending and looked down at her. "I doubt that." 

Meg leapt to her feet, balancing in such a way that he could only assume she was preparing for a fight.

"It'd be my pleasure to prove it." The words came out as a purr. Castiel thought about that. Up here he could use his air bending possibly even combine it with water bending. Something he had been wanting to try since learning it was possible. Roman had squashed that idea. Saying that Castiel needed to master all four elements before he moved onto that. 

"No, I am going back to bed." Meg would keep needling him if he stayed and there was no cover for their fight. They would be discovered for sure. Meg pouted.

"Spoil sport." 

 

(X)

Castiel fell side ways as his numb leg and arm collapsed under neath him. Meg tried to pull her lower body free from the ice he had summon with no success. Eventually she gave up as Castiel lay there, breathing hard. 

"How did you do that?" 

"Family secret." 

"That is your answer for everything." Castiel complained. He was trying to regret letting Meg talk him into fighting her. The servant had been tagging along to his visits to the plateau every time since the first, making commentary and sniping at his attempts to airbend without being found out. Castiel honestly found their banter refreshing. It had been too long since he could snipe back at anyone. Meg never took offense to anything he said, even laughed at some of his more vicious comments. 

"Get me out of this ice and I might tell you more." Castiel waved his one good hand and the ice retreated. Meg stood up an let out a small groan. 

"Couldn't you go easier on a lady like me?"

"You are the one that insisted I not hold back." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Meg stood over him. "You need some help Clarence?" 

"I am fine." Okay, so he couldn't move the left side of his body all that well but he was pretty sure that Meg hadn't crippled him. 

"Don't worry, feeling should come back in a few minutes." 

"I still do not understand how you managed to cancel my bending. Hitting the chakra pathways should not have that effect." 

"Somebody's been studying the human body." Meg sang instead of answering. "I thought warriors weren't suppose to be learning how to heal." 

"I am not suppose to be doing a lot of things." Castiel grumbled. Feeling was indexed returning to his body. He could flex his fingers and lift up his leg a little. Meg leaned down and kneaded his shoulder and thigh. The numbness dissipated immediately though a quick check inform him that his bending ability was still being effected. "Thank you." 

"No problem. Let's get back." 

 

(X)

"You know, you don't have as much of a stick up your ass as I thought you did." Gabriel said, plopping down next to Castiel as he tried to mediate. The airbender had long since given up trying to keep the prince out of his room. Meg slid in shortly after him. Raphael was no where to be seen but he was probably with his father. 

"Thanks ever so much." Castiel said sarcastically. It was nearing the end of the summer and the delegation was set to leave shortly. Just in time to return home before the approaching winter closed the ice paths. 

"Meg says that you go up to the plateau at night to practice your air bending tricks." Castiel eyes flickered to her. He was not surprised that Meg told him about that but it still hurt a little to confirm that she was indeed still spying on him. 

"And?" 

"I want to see it." 

"No." Castiel tried to go back to mediating. 

"Please? I'll show you some fire bending in return." 

"I am suppose to be learning the elements in order and I am not a dancing monkey." 

"Don't play the good little soldier boy with me. We both know that you flaunt Roman's rules just as much as I do, you sneaky bastard. Come on, it will be fun for both of us." 

"Like you will give away royalty training after being shown some airbending." Castiel scoffed. 

"I swear I will show you the basics of firebending in return for seeing the basics of airbending." Gabriel said with such an unusual air of seriousness that Castiel opened his eyes. For once, the Crown Prince did not seem to be pulling his tail. Castiel weighed the pros and cons.

"Alright, we will go out tomorrow." 

"Excellent!" Gabriel leaped up onto the balls of his feet, seriousness gone. "See you then!" 

Both Fire Nation people were gone before the Avatar could wonder if he had just made a grave mistake. 

 

(X)

Gabriel kept his word much to Castiel's surprise. It was an even greater surprise to find out that when Gabriel wasn't tricking him, he was actually capable of being a kind and reasonable person. He showed he cared in odd and frustrating ways, but it was still there. Like, warming the air around Castiel and Meg, supposedly to test how Castiel moves hot air, but the ability to breath without feeling like his longs were freezing was a luxury that Castiel had gone too long without. He also found out that, like Meg, Gabriel did not really care about politeness. It became much easier to deal with him, when Castiel did not have to worry about that. Their banter left Castiel feeling more alive instead of ready to suffocate someone. Raphael did not become easier to be around, but Castiel did not usually have a problem with him so he was not overly concerned. Raphael preferred to stay next to his father and only joined them on the plateau once. By the end of the summer he was a little sad to see them go. He was going to miss the excitement they brought. 

 

(X)

"I'm surprised you managed to make such good friends with them." Charlie said as they met for the first time in months. He had not dared to visit the city during the summer.

"How can I be friends with them? We only argue and try to discover the secrets of each others' abilities." She giggled. 

"Yep, totally friends."


End file.
